El Pasoan is finalist for CNN Hero of the Year; voting ends Wednesday

EL PASO, Nov 17, 2008 (El Paso Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- TWX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- El Pasoan Maria Ruiz, who several times a week crosses the border into Juarez to take food, clothing and toys to hundreds of impoverished children and their families, is one of 10 finalists for CNN's Hero of the Year.

Viewers can also vote at cnn.com/heroes through Wednesday on who should be the Hero of the Year.

Each of this year's top 10 heroes will receive $25,000 and will be honored at "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute," airing from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Nov. 27.

Hosted by Anderson Cooper, the Thanksgiving night broadcast will culminate with the announcement of the CNN Hero of the Year.

This year, CNN Heroes received nearly 4,000 submissions from 75 countries. A Blue Ribbon Panel selected the Top 10 CNN Heroes for the year, according to a post on Cooper's 360 Web site.

A video on Ruiz can be viewed here.

The other nine finalists are:

Tad Agoglia, Houston, Texas -- Agoglia's First Response Team provides immediate help to areas hit by natural disasters. In a little over a year, he and his crew have aided thousands of victims at more than 15 sites across the United States, free of charge.

Yohannes Gebregeorgis, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia -- Moved by the lack of children's books and low literacy rates in his native Ethiopia, Gebregeorgis established Ethiopia Reads, bringing free public libraries and literacy

programs to thousands of Ethiopian children.

Carolyn LeCroy, Norfolk, Virginia -- After serving time in prison, LeCroy started The Messages Project to help children stay connected with their incarcerated parents. She and volunteer camera crews have taped roughly 3,000 messages from inmates to their children.

Anne Mahlum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- On her daily morning jogs, Mahlum used to run past homeless men. Today, she's helping to transform lives by running with them, and others as part of her "Back On My Feet" program.

Liz McCartney, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana -- McCartney moved to New Orleans to dedicate herself to helping Hurricane Katrina survivors move back into their homes. Her nonprofit St. Bernard Project has rebuilt the homes of more than 120 families for free.

Phymean Noun, Toronto, Ontario -- Growing up in Cambodia, Noun struggled to complete high school. Today, she offers hundreds of Cambodian children who work in Phnom Penh's trash dump a way out -- through free schooling and job training.

David Puckett, Savannah, Georgia -- Puckett started Positive Image Prosthetics and Orthotics Missions -- PIPO -- to provide artificial limbs and braces and care to people in southeastern Mexico. Since November 2000 his mission has helped more than 420 people, free of charge.

Marie Da Silva, Los Angeles, California -- Having lost 14 family members to AIDS, the Los Angeles nanny funds a school in her native Malawi -- where half a million children have been orphaned by the disease.

Viola Vaughn, Kaolack, Senegal -- The Detroit, Michigan, native moved to Senegal to retire. Instead, a group of failing schoolchildren asked her to help them pass their classes. Today, her "10,000 Girls" program is helping hundreds of girls succeed in school and run their own businesses.

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